Turbo charging, or supercharging, of engine intake air causes an increase in both the pressure and the temperature of the air. While high pressure is desirable, because it increases the mass of air that can be admitted into the engine cylinders, high temperature reduces the air density and therefore reduces the volumetric efficiency of the engine. For improved performance, it is known to reduce the temperature of the intake air by passing it through a charge air cooler (CAC), also termed an intercooler, which is constructed as a heat exchanger that enables the intake air to be cooled by heat rejection to the ambient air.
It is known to mount the CAC next to, or on, the radiator that cools the engine coolant so that the air flowing through the radiator passes first through the CAC. When, as in the case of an agricultural vehicle, the engine is often operating in a dirty environment, dirt becomes trapped within the CAC and the radiator and they need to be cleaned from time to time to maintain efficient engine operation and avoid overheating.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing shows an arrangement of a CAC 10 mounted on a radiator 12. The CAC 10 is held on the radiator 12 by a bracket 14 that allows the CAC 10 a limited degree of movement away from the radiator to provide access for cleaning.
To avoid the need to disconnect the CAC from the engine intake system during cleaning operations, it is known to use flexible hoses to connect the inlet 16 and the outlet 18 of the CAC to the engine intake system, that is to say to the turbocharger or supercharger and to the engine intake manifold. For this purpose, flexible and extendable hoses are well known that have walls constructed as a bellows, that is to say in the form of a concertina.